Opinion - Bklyner (Page 3)

Save 227 Duffield: There’s More To A City Landmark Than Architectural Significance

About 15 protestors held signs and chanted against the demolition of 227 Duffield Street in September of 2019, a small 3 story brick house that is slated to be demolished by a developer to make way for another skyscraper on that street. Todd Maisel/BklynerWedged between a string of high-rise

Letter To The Editor

Must We Be Driven From Our Home?

Dear Bklyner, I’m concerned about the proposed real estate tax hike that is targeted at Park Slope. As my wife and approach retirement age, we are wondering if retirement will be possible with an onerous real estate tax bill hanging over our home on 11th Street. Twenty five years,

Election 2021

To Protect Tenants, New York City Must Take the Lead

Linden Boulevard/Flatbush. Liena Zagare/BklynerNew York is in a housing crisis, exacerbated by spiraling rents that outpace residents’ incomes. Even after Albany dramatically strengthened our rent laws last year, thousands of New Yorkers continue to be deprived of their housing rights for two reasons. Residents either aren’t aware

Central Brooklyn

2020: A New Decade for Bold Action on Climate (Opinion)

Yvette Clarke. (Photo: Zainab Iqbal/Bklyner)30 years. That’s how long we have left to transform our economy and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in order to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. And to make matters even more immediate, the groundwork that we lay down this

Opinion

Opinion: We Need Housing Guarantee for Brooklyn’s Working Families

New affordable housing on Flatbush Avenue under construction. Liena Zagare/BklynerIn 1949, President Harry Truman signed the Housing Act to provide “a decent home and suitable living environment for every American family.” Now 70 years later, our country is in an affordable housing crisis and homeownership is at record lows.

Health

Finding Hope During the Holidays

Anthony TranThe holidays are meant to be a time to celebrate, give, and share in the joy of the season. But for people facing grief, loss—or just a tough period in life—it can be a challenging time of year. Seeing others reveling in the holiday spirit can magnify

community

Letter to the Editor: Possible Voter Suppression in Crown Heights

By Keith Polasko, a concerned citizen. CROWN HEIGHTS — On the afternoon of Monday, November 4, 2019 the New York City Police Department posted tow-away-zone signs in Crown Heights, Brooklyn announcing a parking ban for tree pruning that took effect less than 24 hours later on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 from

Central Brooklyn

960 Franklin: A Bad Deal for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and for Crown Heights

A hanging scrim shows the proposed towers and their size relative to the conservatory buildings. Via BBG website.In July the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens (BBG) opened a new exhibit in one of their many conservatories. What made this exhibit different was that they were not showcasing exotic flora. Its purpose

affordable housing

Why the American Dream is Dead for Millennial New Yorkers

One of the cornerstones of our great nation since the end of World War II has been the unified dream of homeownership. It was a value strongly backed by the US government and many municipalities across the United States. Many veterans returning home were eligible for a plethora of programs

Business

What Brooklyn’s Small Businesses Can Learn From WeWork’s Troubles

Brooklyn Creative League office by Jenni Walkowiak/with permissionI should probably start with the disclaimer that WeWork is a competitor of ours in New York, although WeWork executives would probably not say the same about us. I started my coworking company, Brooklyn Creative League, in 2009, a few months before

affordable housing

Community Land Trusts: Why Are Republicans Not Talking About It? (Opinion)

Homeless in Downtown Brooklyn. Liena Zagare/BklynerBy Joel Acevedo, President of the Brooklyn Young Republican Club The city that never sleeps is about to become the city that sleeps on the streets. Homelessness, residential displacement, and housing insecurity are unfortunately on the rise in New York City, according to the

Announcements

CM Reynoso: Why I Endorse Sen. Elizabeth Warren For President

By Councilmember Antonio Reynoso Who will save the American Dream? Since our founding, this ideal has been a vivid expression of the equal opportunities that should exist here and the always evolving pursuit of a more perfect nation. For the millions of immigrants who have come to Brooklyn, the American

Central Brooklyn

The Selective High School Dilemma

Letter to the Editor: Regarding the five or so highly selective High Schools in the city and the lack of diversity within them and desire to open them up to more underprivileged students, I think we are asking the wrong question. Rather than scrap the current system why not expand

bath beach

Are You Responsible For Sidewalk Repairs? Know Your Rights!

By Assemblyman William Colton BATH BEACH/BENSONHURST/GRAVESEND – The NYC DOT is initiating a Sidewalk Program placing orange arrows on the sidewalks which previously had a Notice of Violation filed. The program then intends to send a notice to the homeowner informing them that unless the homeowner proceeds to file

affordable housing

Op-Ed: Why We’re Welcoming the Families of the New Fourth Avenue Shelters

535 4th Avenue & 555 4th Avenue (Photo: Pamela Wong/Bklyner)By Amy White Graves, founder of Brooklyn Children’s Theatre. The nonprofit serves 1,300 children a year in Brooklyn. New York City is facing a homelessness crisis and women and children are bearing the brunt of it. Almost

Business

OP-ED: Unfunded Paid Vacation Time Hurts Small Businesses In Brooklyn

Eladia’s Kids daycare and preschool.By Eladia Causil-Rodriguez, owner of Eladia’s Kids daycare and preschool which currently has four locations in Brooklyn and is in process of opening two more. The City Council’s unfunded mandate for paid vacation is a potential dream killer for small business owners

Letter To The Editor

Immigrants Mean Business (OPINION)

Commissioner Bishop with the featured business owners. NYC Department of Small Business ServicesBy Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Small Business Services It’s Immigrant Heritage Month, a perfect time to celebrate New York City’s small business community. Why? Because over half of the City’s 230,

Bay Ridge

Letter to the Editor: Stopping the Illegal Home Conversions – Who’s Really Doing The Work

By Bob Cassara, President of the Brooklyn Housing Preservation Alliance @brooklynhpa As President of the Brooklyn Housing Preservation Alliance (BHPA) I am gratified to see elected officials put their efforts and resources behind a very difficult if not impossible task in trying to stop the illegal home conversion epidemic that

News

Aging Infrastructure Could Spoil New York City’s Latest Tech Boom – Opinion

Shrihari Pandit, Stealth CommunicationsBy Shrihari Pandit, CEO and Founder of Stealth Communications, a company that delivers fiber-optic Internet Service to businesses throughout New York City. New York City, its people, and its resources have always had the enviable ability to attract newcomers. The 21st-century version of that is to be

Education

I’m a white teacher who chose a high-poverty school for my daughter. Here’s why.

Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Alie Stumpf on January 11, 2019. Reprinted with permission. When I read Saratu Ghartey’s story last fall that beautifully and honestly captured her experience touring, searching for, and finally selecting a “good” preschool for her son, I recognized myself. I, too, have been consumed

Dyker Heights

Have The Dyker Heights Lights Become A Christmas Nightmare? – OPINION

Photo by Mary Bakija/BklynerBy: City Councilman Justin Brannan and Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann When most people talk about Christmas in New York City, they usually mention the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the stunning holiday window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue or maybe the Rockettes at

Central Brooklyn

In The Trenches: American Dystopia (COLUMN)

CROWN HEIGHTS – When my parents arrived in the United States having fled war-torn Uganda, they never imagined the country they would risk life and limb for would descend into this, a backward sliding dystopia. Although President Trump’s election was a truly shocking moment for them, the last few weeks

News

Not Doing Us Proud: Silence Speaks Volumes – and Matters (OPINION)

Marty Golden. (Photo: Zainab Iqbal/Bklyner)By Jay Brown and Rachel Posner On August 15, 2017, long-time Marty Golden employee and loyalist John Quaglione stood in front of a crowd at Xaverian High School and said this: “I’d be remiss not to say that we just saw a tragedy

Opinion

Kings County Democratic Committee – Time To Engage With Your Members! OPINION

By Yaneth Lombana, LMSW, Trauma therapist and County Committee Member 56 AD 91 ED CROWN HEIGHTS – One of the nation’s largest Democratic county organizations, the Kings County Committee, is located in Brooklyn and has the power to influence judgeships and the potential to politically engage neighborhoods. As a trauma

News

Cy Vance is Dangerously Aligned with the Trump Administration – OPINION

By Jonathan Westin, executive director of New York Communities for Change. It’s not a secret: the Trump Administration’s policies are ravaging our communities, causing damage that will take decades to rectify. Trump’s Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, is doing what he’s done forever: stoking racial tensions, pitting